Fresh from announcing a new team for Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the hit police procedural drama NCIS aims to reach even more people as it was picked by Ion Television to add to its primetime Monday lineup beginning September 8 at 9pm.

Ion Media Networks, Ion Television's parent company which owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group reaching over 94 million US households, recently inked a syndication agreement with CBS Television Distribution for NCIS's first four seasons.

"NCIS is a high-caliber, highly rated series that will broaden ION Television's reach to target audiences and advertisers," said Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks. "Stay tuned for more examples of this kind of programming from the network as we continue to migrate to greater mass appeal in 2008 and 2009."

NCIS, which returns for its sixth season on Tuesday September 23 at 8pm on CBS, is a spin-off of CBS's military legal drama JAG.  It follows the complex yet always satisfying story of a squad forced to work together in high-stress situations.  Headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, NCIS features a fictional team of Naval Criminal Investigation Series Major Case Response Team.

NCIS is not the first to join ION, with the likes of Boston Legal, ER, The Steve Harvey Show, and Family Feud due to air on its fall schedule.

"We're excited to bring a quality hit show like NCIS to broadcast syndication and extend our partnership with ION Television," said Scott Koondel, Executive Vice President of Off Network, Cable and Interactive Media for CTD.

NCIS stars Cote de Pablo, David McCallum, Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, and Sean Murray.  The shake up in the team saw Tim sent to the cybercrimes unit, Tony assigned to a nuclear-powered supercarrier, and Ziva ordered back to Mossad.


-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: ION
(Image Courtesy of TV Guide)